Training
by Dark Ice Dragon
Summary: "I want to watch you train!" Rajak paused, and then he smiled as he tucked his own chair under the table. "I was wondering when you were going to ask."


**Summary** : "I want to watch you train!" Rajak paused, and then he smiled as he tucked his own chair under the table. "I was wondering when you were going to ask."

Pre-canon.

Birthday fic for Spectralmelon! She asked for the Kertia brothers.

Another fic I thought would only 300 words tops.

* * *

 **Training  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Rael walked towards the dining hall, the scent of breakfast wafting through the mansion corridors. It smelled like-

"Do you think Kertia-nim will train today?"

Rael slowed at the question, turning his head towards the voice. It belonged to a servant washing the windows, talking with another sweeping the floor. Rael knew the answer to that question: Hyung had had the same routine for as long as Rael could remember – when he wasn't checking the human world, he was training.

"Of course he will – he works hard, just like his father."

"Harder, I think. The previous Clan Leader didn't train as often."

Hmph. Of course Hyung worked hard – he was Hyung.

But _servants_ knew more about how hard Hyung worked than him? No. That wasn't right.

Rael span on his heel and stalked back towards the dining hall. He would change that.

xOx

But how? Rael spent most of breakfast stabbing his food than eating it. It had tasted better yesterday anyway.

When Hyung stood up from the table, Rael jerked his head up. If Hyung left now, this was the last time he would see him before dinner!

"I want to watch you train!"

Hyung paused, and then he smiled as he tucked his own chair under the table. "I was wondering when you were going to ask."

"You had?" Hyung had wanted to do something with him? He should ask more often then.

"Yes."

Hyung waited as Rael got to his feet and together they left the dining hall.

xOx

As Rael followed Hyung through the forest near their mansion, they passed areas pockmarked with craters, trees felled into kindling. Had Hyung made those…? No-one would have dared attack Lukedonia, so it must have been.

When Hyung stopped in the middle of a clearing, Rael jumped down to the ground a small distance away. Close enough to watch, but far enough to be out of immediate harm's way.

The only sound was the breeze rustling the leaves, and birdsong.

Rael straightened when Hyung reached behind his back. W-what? He'd stopped sensing Hyung. How had he-? But Rael could see he still there in front of him. Rael knew that was the power of Kartas, but it was different experiencing it himself.

He tensed, his eyes widening when he saw the long, black blades in Hyung's hands. The blades were the length of Hyung's arms, curving inwards from the hilt. Kartas. Then Hyung moved, zipping from one side of the clearing to another.

There was a shrill whistle, and one of the trees on the other side of the clearing collapsed in on itself, toppling over in a heap of splinters.

Another second and another tree fell, this time with broader strokes cut clean through it.

Rael didn't move as the ground shook when the trunk fell and he watched with breathless wonder as Hyung kept going, more trees falling, moving faster and faster with each passing second. The strength of the soul weapon was _amazing_.

The air was thick with debris and the scent of freshly cut leaves and sap when Hyung stopped. He was breathing harder, and his clothes dirty from the dust.

"That was amazing!" Rael said, his eyes wide, taking in the entire destruction around them. The only area that hadn't been sliced to pieces was where Rael had been standing.

"Why do you need to train so hard? There's nothing that can win against you!" Only another Clan Leader, and Kertias were the fastest out of all the families.

Hyung didn't say anything for a few seconds. "I need to."

Hmm. Why? But if Hyung thought that... He must be being cautious.

"We should go back," Hyung said, and Rael nodded, moving to follow him.

As they neared their mansion, Hyung asked, "Are you going to train?"

Rael frowned. There was no need, because Hyung was the Clan Leader, and nothing more was needed. But if he could reach Hyung's level... "Yes, I think I'll start now."

Hyung smiled, the action all in the corner of his eyes.

What would he be like if he had Kartas? Would _he_ be like that? With all the power Hyung had shown.

But he wouldn't. He wouldn't need to. Hyung was the Clan Leader and there was no reason for _him_ to become the next Clan Leader. Not when Hyung was so strong.

They parted ways so Hyung could change into fresh clothes before meeting with the Lord and Rael wandered the grounds, staring at the trees.

But if he _did_ have Kartas... Rael gripped his hands like he'd seen Hyung do, keeping a space between his fists. What had Hyung done? Slashed like this? He should get something to hold so he could pract-

Rael sucked in a breath when a flow of _power_ exploded him. His aura lashed out and.

No.

That couldn't be right.

There were blades in Rael's hands. Black blades. Just like the ones he had seen in Hyung's hands a few scant minutes ago.

But that was _impossible_!

Rael sensed Hyung was inside the mansion, his aura strong as it had always been. Hyung was still alive. He hadn't passed on Kartas - there had been no ceremony either.

But then why was he holding Kartas in his hands?

Except... It wasn't Kartas. Rael squinted at the blades, holding them up to the light. They were smaller than Kartas, only the length of his forearm. The gold ornamentation was kept to the hilt rather than threaded throughout the entire blade.

But if this wasn't Kartas, then what _was_ it?

 _Grandia._

Rael sat down with a thump, Kart - Grandia spinning into the grass. That had been...

That had been Father's voice.

Was this...Father's will? Was that why he and Hyung had soul weapons? But a soul weapon couldn't be split into two! Except the proof was right there in front of him, gleaming in the sunlight.

Why? Why would Father do this?

But...

If Kartas was split, then Hyung's soul weapon wasn't whole. Hyung wouldn't be able to achieve his full power.

Rael grabbed Grandia again, his nails digging into his palm. Hyung was weaker than he could be. Because of him. Because of Father.

Rael shook his head. No! It wasn't their faults! If Father had done it, there had to be a reason. He must have wanted it. Wanted them to both have a soul weapon.

There was no confirmation from Grandia, but there was no denying either. And...was that it? Was this the scope of how much Father's will was passed on? A name?

But it was enough. This had been Father's will.

And it was his right, wasn't it? He was a pureblood noble of the Kertia clan. That must have been why Father had given them both a soul weapon.

Rael scrambled to his feet at a rustle and unsummoned Grandia. He scowled at the servants he saw and they scurried past, dipping their heads in his direction.

No-one could find out. He had to keep this secret. If people found out Hyung didn't have a complete soul weapon, they would think he was weak. Hyung _wasn't_ weak. He trained every day to make sure he was strong. He was dedicated to his position as Clan Leader.

So he would hide this. No-one had to know. Before anyone else saw him, Rael returned to his mansion.

xOx

The next morning, Rael blinked when Hyung didn't leave the table as soon as he stood up like he usually did.

"Hyung?"

"I told you not to call me that," Hyung said with a well-worn sigh. Hyung never did more than that and Rael huffed.

"I like calling you Hyung." Because he was his Hyung first before his Clan Leader.

Hyung closed his eyes and shook his head. "I thought you wanted to see me train?"

He had. But that was before he found out he had Grandia.

Except…he didn't know how to use Grandia yet. "All right." Rael got to his feet. Maybe he would if he watched Hyung.

* * *

I made it that Rael took a while to find out since we saw Ignes had to think about it.

I wanted to write how Rael got to hating humans so badly, but it didn't fit here and the fic refused to be written once I passed a certain part, so yeah. Ended it there.

Still not sure about using some terms in this since I'm going through an English filter going through a Korean filter of the Lukedonian language, haa.


End file.
